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Lions Gate via Everett Collection
When we last left our heroes, they had conquered all opponents in the 74th Annual Hunger Games, returned home to their newly refurbished living quarters in District 12, and fallen haplessly to the cannibalism of PTSD. And now we're back! Hitching our wagons once again to laconic Katniss Everdeen and her sweet-natured, just-for-the-camera boyfriend Peeta Mellark as they gear up for a second go at the Capitol's killing fields.
But hold your horses — there's a good hour and a half before we step back into the arena. However, the time spent with Katniss and Peeta before the announcement that they'll be competing again for the ceremonial Quarter Quell does not drag. In fact, it's got some of the film franchise's most interesting commentary about celebrity, reality television, and the media so far, well outweighing the merit of The Hunger Games' satire on the subject matter by having Katniss struggle with her responsibilities as Panem's idol. Does she abide by the command of status quo, delighting in the public's applause for her and keeping them complacently saturated with her smiles and curtsies? Or does Katniss hold three fingers high in opposition to the machine into which she has been thrown? It's a quarrel that the real Jennifer Lawrence would handle with a castigation of the media and a joke about sandwiches, or something... but her stakes are, admittedly, much lower. Harvey Weinstein isn't threatening to kill her secret boyfriend.
Through this chapter, Katniss also grapples with a more personal warfare: her devotion to Gale (despite her inability to commit to the idea of love) and her family, her complicated, moralistic affection for Peeta, her remorse over losing Rue, and her agonizing desire to flee the eye of the public and the Capitol. Oftentimes, Katniss' depression and guilty conscience transcends the bounds of sappy. Her soap opera scenes with a soot-covered Gale really push the limits, saved if only by the undeniable grace and charisma of star Lawrence at every step along the way of this film. So it's sappy, but never too sappy.
In fact, Catching Fire is a masterpiece of pushing limits as far as they'll extend before the point of diminishing returns. Director Francis Lawrence maintains an ambiance that lends to emotional investment but never imposes too much realism as to drip into territories of grit. All of Catching Fire lives in a dreamlike state, a stark contrast to Hunger Games' guttural, grimacing quality that robbed it of the life force Suzanne Collins pumped into her first novel.
Once we get to the thunderdome, our engines are effectively revved for the "fun part." Katniss, Peeta, and their array of allies and enemies traverse a nightmare course that seems perfectly suited for a videogame spin-off. At this point, we've spent just enough time with the secondary characters to grow a bit fond of them — deliberately obnoxious Finnick, jarringly provocative Johanna, offbeat geeks Beedee and Wiress — but not quite enough to dissolve the mystery surrounding any of them or their true intentions (which become more and more enigmatic as the film progresses). We only need adhere to Katniss and Peeta once tossed in the pit of doom that is the 75th Hunger Games arena, but finding real characters in the other tributes makes for a far more fun round of extreme manhunt.
But Catching Fire doesn't vie for anything particularly grand. It entertains and engages, having fun with and anchoring weight to its characters and circumstances, but stays within the expected confines of what a Hunger Games movie can be. It's a good one, but without shooting for succinctly interesting or surprising work with Katniss and her relationships or taking a stab at anything but the obvious in terms of sending up the militant tyrannical autocracy, it never even closes in on the possibility of being a great one.
3.5/5
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There's an allure to imperfection. With his latest drama Lawless director John Hillcoat taps directly into the side of human nature that draws us to it. Hillcoat finds it in Prohibition history a time when the regulations of alcohol consumption were subverted by most of the population; He finds it in the rural landscapes of Virginia: dingy raw and mesmerizing. And most importantly he finds it in his main character Jack Bondurant (Shia LaBeouf) the scrappy third brother of a moonshining family who is desperate to prove his worth. Jack forcefully injects himself into the family business only to discover there's an underbelly to the underbelly. Lawless is a beautiful film that's violent as hell striking in a way only unfiltered Americana could be.
Acting as the driver for his two outlaw brothers Forrest (Tom Hardy) and Howard (Jason Clarke) isn't enough for Jack. He's enticed by the power of the gangster figure and entranced by what moonshine money can buy. So like any fledgling entrepreneur Jack takes matters into his own hands. Recruiting crippled family friend/distillery mastermind Cricket (Dane DeHaan) the young whippersnapper sets out to brew his own batch sell it to top dog Floyd Banner and make the family rich. The plan works — but it puts the Bondurant boys in over their heads with a new threat: the corrupt law enforcers of Chicago.
Unlike many stories of crime life Lawless isn't about escalation. The movie drifts back and forth leisurely popping in moments like the beats of a great TV episode. One second the Bondurants could be talking shop with their female shopkeep Maggie Beauford (Jessica Chastain). The next Forrest is beating the bloody pulp out of a cop blackmailing their operation. The plot isn't thick; Hillcoat and screenwriter Nick Cave preferring to bask in the landscapes the quiet moments the haunting terror that comes with a life on the other side of the tracks. A feature film doesn't offer enough time for Lawless to build — it recalls cinema-level TV currently playing on outlets like HBO and AMC that have truly spoiled us — but what the duo accomplish is engrossing.
Accompanying the glowing visuals and Cave's knockout workout on the music side (a toe-tapping mix of spirituals bluegrass and the writer/musician's spine-tingling violin) are muted performances from some of Hollywood's rising stars. Despite LaBeouf's off-screen antics he lights up Lawless and nails the in-deep whippersnapper. His playful relationship with a local religious girl (Mia Wasikowska) solidifies him as a leading man but like everything in the movie you want more. Tom Hardy is one of the few performers who can "uurrr" and "mmmnerm" his way through a scene and come out on top. His greatest sparring partner isn't a hulking thug but Chastain who brings out the heart of the impenetrable beast. The real gem of Lawless is Guy Pearce as the Bondurant trio's biggest threat. Shaved eyebrows pristine city clothes and a temper like a rabid wolverine Pearce's Charlie Rakes is the most frightening villain of 2012. He viciously chews up every moment he's on screen. That's even before he starts drawing blood.
Lawless is the perfect movie for the late August haze — not quite the Oscary prestige picture or the summertime shoot-'em-up. It's drama that has its moonshine and swigs it too. Just don't drink too much.
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The first and most important thing you should know about Paramount Pictures’ Thor is that it’s not a laughably corny comic book adaptation. Though you might find it hokey to hear a bunch of muscled heroes talk like British royalty while walking around the American Southwest in LARP garb director Kenneth Branagh has condensed vast Marvel mythology to make an accessible straightforward fantasy epic. Like most films of its ilk I’ve got some issues with its internal logic aesthetic and dialogue but the flaws didn’t keep me from having fun with this extra dimensional adventure.
Taking notes from fellow Avenger Iron Man the story begins with an enthralling event that takes place in a remote desert but quickly jumps back in time to tell the prologue which introduces the audience to the shining kingdom of Asgard and its various champions. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) son of Odin is heir to the throne but is an arrogant overeager and ill-tempered rogue whose aggressive antics threaten a shaky truce between his people and the frost giants of Jotunheim one of the universe’s many realms. Odin (played with aristocratic boldness by Anthony Hopkins) enraged by his son’s blatant disregard of his orders to forgo an assault on their enemies after they attempt to reclaim a powerful artifact banishes the boy to a life among the mortals of Earth leaving Asgard defenseless against the treachery of Loki his mischievous “other son” who’s always felt inferior to Thor. Powerless and confused the disgraced Prince finds unlikely allies in a trio of scientists (Natalie Portman Stellan Skarsgard and Kat Dennings) who help him reclaim his former glory and defend our world from total destruction.
Individually the make-up visual effects CGI production design and art direction are all wondrous to behold but when fused together to create larger-than-life set pieces and action sequences the collaborative result is often unharmonious. I’m not knocking the 3D presentation; unlike 2010’s genre counterpart Clash of the Titans the filmmakers had plenty of time to perfect the third dimension and there are only a few moments that make the decision to convert look like it was a bad one. It’s the unavoidable overload of visual trickery that’s to blame for the frost giants’ icy weaponized constructs and other hybrids of the production looking noticeably artificial. Though there’s some imagery to nitpick the same can’t be said of Thor’s thunderous sound design which is amped with enough wattage to power The Avengers’ headquarters for a century.
Chock full of nods to the comics the screenplay is both a strength and weakness for the film. The story is well sequenced giving the audience enough time between action scenes to grasp the characters motivations and the plot but there are tangential narrative threads that disrupt the focus of the film. Chief amongst them is the frost giants’ fore mentioned relic which is given lots of attention in the first act but has little effect on the outcome. In addition I felt that S.H.I.E.L.D. was nearly irrelevant this time around; other than introducing Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye the secret security faction just gets in the way of the movie’s momentum.
While most of the comedy crashes and burns there are a few laughs to be found in the film. Most come from star Hemsworth’s charismatic portrayal of the God of Thunder. He plays up the stranger-in-a-strange-land aspect of the story with his cavalier but charming attitude and by breaking all rules of diner etiquette in a particularly funny scene with the scientists whose respective roles as love interest (Portman) friendly father figure (Skarsgaard) and POV character (Dennings) are ripped right out of a screenwriters handbook.
Though he handles the humorous moments without a problem Hemsworth struggles with some of the more dramatic scenes in the movie; the result of over-acting and too much time spent on the Australian soap opera Home and Away. Luckily he’s surrounded by a stellar supporting cast that fills the void. Most impressive is Tom Hiddleston who gives a truly humanistic performance as the jealous Loki. His arc steeped in Shakespearean tragedy (like Thor’s) drums up genuine sympathy that one rarely has for a comic book movie villain.
My grievances with the technical aspects of the production aside Branagh has succeeded in further exploring the Marvel Universe with a film that works both as a standalone superhero flick and as the next chapter in the story of The Avengers. Thor is very much a comic book film and doesn’t hide from the reputation that its predecessors have given the sub-genre or the tropes that define it. Balanced pretty evenly between “serious” and “silly ” its scope is large enough to please fans well versed in the source material but its tone is light enough to make it a mainstream hit.

Snoop Dogg pleaded not guilty to a felony weapon charge through his lawyers yesterday, when he was arraigned in a Santa Ana, California, courtroom.
Snoop, real name Calvin Broadus, is charged with possessing a deadly weapon while trying to board a plane at John Wayne Airport in September.
Police also found a collapsible baton in his computer bag--one of the many non-lethal weapons which are illegal in California.
Orange County District Attorney spokeswoman Susan Schroeder says, "The reason we're pursuing this as a felony is because of Mr. Broadus' criminal history and his apparent and continued disregard for the law."
The rapper's attorney, Donald Etra, hits back at the claims, stating, "Snoop's not-guilty plea says it all. The item he's charged with was a movie prop, not a weapon. Snoop never intended it to be used as anything other than a prop."
He faces three years in prison if convicted. A pre-trial hearing has been set for April 5.
The 35-year-old rap star is also facing weapons charges stemming from another incident at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California.
He was arrested there in October and accused of illegally carrying a handgun and possessing marijuana.
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Spider-Man was no itsy-bitsy spider, scaling the box office heights with a $114 million launch that shattered all opening weekend records.
The Scorpion King plunged 47 percent to second place with $9.6 million as its cume neared $75 million. Changing Lanes hit the brakes in third place with $5.6 million. Murder by Numbers finished fourth with $3.8 million. The Rookie and Life or Something Like It were neck and neck for fifth place with $3.3 million.
Propelled by Spider-Man, key films--those grossing $500,000 or more--totaled $158 million, up a phenomenal 51 percent from last year's $104.6 million. Business soared a breathtaking 96.5 percent over the previous weekend's $80.4 million.
THE TOP TEN
Columbia's PG-13 action-adventure sci-fi fantasy Spider-Man leaped into first place with an unprecedented ESTIMATED $114.0 million at 3,615 theaters and 7,500-plus screens ($31,535 per theater).
Insiders put the picture's production cost in the $120-130 million range, comfortably less than some reports have had it and leaving no question that Spider-Man will be an enormously profitable venture for Columbia and its corporate parent Sony. Not only will the movie generate major profits for the studio, but so will the franchise that will result in years to come thanks to this first film's super success.
Spider-Man's average per theater was the highest for any film playing in wide release this weekend.
Directed by Sam Raimi, it stars Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Cliff Robertson and Rosemary Harris.
"There isn't a distribution record in film history that hasn't been shattered this weekend," Sony Pictures Entertainment worldwide marketing &amp; distribution president Jeff Blake said Sunday morning.
"It's the biggest opening weekend--either three or four days. It's the biggest single day, which was our Saturday, which we're estimating at $43.7 million. It's the biggest single day by over $10 million, beating Harry Potter's Saturday of $33.5 million. It's the fastest to $100 million in three days (beating the five days it took Harry Potter). It's the highest per screen average in 3,000 prints or more with $31,535."
Looking at the weekend day by day, Blake said, "We estimate that it breaks out $39.3 million (for Friday), $43.7 million (for Saturday), up 11 percent, which I think is the most remarkable thing considering that we had the biggest day ever on Friday and we were up 11 percent on Saturday. And we're estimating $31 million for Sunday."
In terms of in-house records, Blake noted, "It more than doubles Columbia's biggest opening ever, which was Men in Black at $51 million."
Spider-Man ranks as the biggest opening in Hollywood history ever, he said, "Three days. Four days. Lost World's four days was $90 million. It doesn't matter (what comparisons you use)."
Reflecting on the film's unprecedented level of success, Blake pointed out, "It's the kind of coordinated worldwide marketing and distribution event that we've been working towards. It really can happen now. You can open a movie and make it an event around the world and maximize it immediately.
"The great news is it's not just a great record breaking North American event. We've already opened (in the Far East). It's the biggest opening ever in places like Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines and the second biggest opening ever in Korea and Taiwan. Japan opens next Saturday (May 11). This is truly a worldwide marketing and distribution event."
What he's proudest of, Blake added, "is that as all encompassing as the marketing and distribution was, in the end it was still about the movie. And it's a great movie. Spider-Man had universal appeal. It drew boys and girls, men and women, young and old. And the great news is, it delivered. We've got a definite recommend (exit poll score) for both younger males and older females in the eighties. That almost never happens. And we've had over 90 percent in the Top Two Boxes (excellent and very good) straight across the board."
Where Spider-Man climbs to in terms of its ultimate domestic theatrical gross will depend on its repeat business. "We're already getting anecdotal stuff about kids seeing it time and time again," Blake observed. "I think the fact that it's an across the board appeal movie with heart and romance as well as dazzling special effects (works strongly in its favor). The chemistry between Tobey and Kirsten is just so wonderful, it really takes this kind of movie to a different level. Obviously, this is a level that nobody's ever seen before."
The $100 million weekend is, Blake said, "that mythical great white whale and I think anybody who does what we do has to be thrilled to see Spider-Man capture it. I can't give enough credit on the distribution side to Rory Bruer (president, domestic distribution) and his team for setting us up this way. And I can't give enough credit on the marketing side to Geoff Ammer (president, domestic marketing) for one of the best marketing campaigns I think anybody's ever put together and Josh Goldstine (senior executive vice president, creative advertising) for just amazing creative materials. And on the international side (also deserving credit are) Mark Zucker (senior executive vice president, worldwide distribution) and Nigel Clark (senior executive vice president, worldwide marketing)."
Beyond Spider-Man's own record setting success, Blake emphasized, "The other great news is that this sets up our summer. Almost 20 million people saw trailers this weekend (with Spider-Man) on Men in Black II, Mr. Deeds, XXX, Stuart Little 2 and Enough. Certainly, we're pleased with the execution of what was a pretty carefully thought out trailer plan. Our information is that almost all exhibitors played at least three and most played four of the above (trailers that Sony provided to be shown with Spider-Man)."
Distribution executives at other studios also applauded the success of Spider-Man, noting that blockbuster business is always good for the industry as a whole because moviegoers tend to come back to see other movies after they've had a good time seeing the big one that's just opened.
Universal's PG-13 rated adventure spinoff The Scorpion King in association with World Wrestling Federation Entertainment and Alphaville fell one rung to second place in its third week having been caught as expected Spider-Man's box office web. Scorpion bit off an ESTIMATED $9.6 million (-47%) at 3,466 theaters (+17 theaters; $2,770 per theater). Its cume is approximately $74.8 million, heading for $90-100 million in domestic theaters.
Paramount's R rated road rage drama Changing Lanes skidded down one lane to third place in its fourth week with an ESTIMATED $5.6 million (-38%) at 2,642 theaters (theater count unchanged; $2,12015 per theater). Its cume is approximately $52.43 million, heading for $65-70 million.
Directed by Roger Michell, it stars Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson.
"I was particularly pleased with the Friday hold on the picture (down only about 35 percent)," Paramount distribution president Wayne Lewellen said Sunday morning.
"I think what's happening with Spider-Man is that it's obviously got good positive word of mouth. I think the older (over-25) audience, which would be the Changing Lanes crowd, is getting the feedback that this is a good movie and not just the popcorn movie that it looks to be."
Looking at the prospects for a strong summer season in general, Lewellen said, "There's no question (that it looks very promising). We say that always. You see the market expand when you get a constant diet of good movies in the marketplace. It goes back to if you put a movie in this so-called 'off play time,' it can still do tremendous business if it's what the public wants to see. The market simply expands to meet that demand."
Paramount has good prospects, itself, for ticket sales this summer with The Sum Of All Fears, its latest spy thriller based on a Tom Clancy book (in which Ben Affleck takes over Harrison Ford's role as Jack Ryan) arriving May 31 at about 3,000 theaters. July 19, Paramount opens K-19: The Widowmaker (an action adventure about a Soviet submarine struggling to keep its nuclear reactor from melting down, starring Harrison Ford) at about 2,500 theaters.
"And we have Hey, Arnold! coming the end of June, which is another of the Nickelodeon characters and they seem to do very well for us," Lewellen said. Based on the hit TV cartoon series, Arnold opens June 28 at 2,200 to 2,400 theaters.
Castle Rock Entertainment's Murder by Numbers held on to fourth place in its third week via Warner Bros. with an uneventful ESTIMATED $3.78 million (-41%) at 2,565 theaters (-98 theaters; $1,474 per theater). Its cume is approximately $24.0 million.
Directed by Barbet Schroeder, it stars Sandra Bullock.
Buena Vista/Disney's G rated family appeal baseball drama The Rookie, which was sixth last week, tied for fifth place in its sixth week with an okay ESTIMATED $3.3 million (-41%) at 2,351 theaters (-192 theaters; $1,404 per theater). Its cume is approximately $65.1 million.
Directed by John Lee Hancock, it stars Dennis Quaid.
20th Century Fox and Regency Enterprises' PG-13 rated drama Life or Something Like It, which was fifth last week, tied for fifth place in its second week with a dull ESTIMATED $3.28 million (-47%) at 2,609 theaters (+3 theaters; $1,257 per theater). Its cume is approximately $11.0 million.
Directed by Stephen Herek, it stars Angelina Jolie and Edward Burns.
United Artists' R rated drama Deuces Wild opened via MGM in seventh place to a not so wild ESTIMATED $2.7 million at 1,480 theaters ($1,824 per theater).
Directed by Scott Kalvert, it stars Stephen Dorff, Brad Renfro and Fairuza Balk.
20th Century Fox's PG rated animated feature Ice Age fell one notch to eighth place in its eighth week, finally starting to melt with an ESTIMATED $2.51 million (-50%) at 2,137 theaters (-457 theaters; $1,172 per theater). Its cume is approximately $169.2 million, heading for $175 million or more in domestic theaters.
Directed by Chris Wedge, it features the voices of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo and Denis Leary.
New Line Cinema's R rated horror genre sequel Jason X plunged six slots in its second week to ninth place with an anemic ESTIMATED $2.4 million (-64%) at 1,879 theaters (+1 theater; $1,277 per theater). Its cume is approximately $10.3 million.
Directed by Jim Isaac, it stars Kane Hodder.
Columbia's R rated thriller Panic Room, which was eighth last week, tied for tenth place in its sixth week with a restrained ESTIMATED $2.2 million (-48%) at 1,827 theaters (-636 theaters; $1,204 per theater). Its cume is approximately $91.1 million, on its way to $100 million in domestic theaters.
Directed by David Fincher, it stars Jodie Foster.
DreamWorks' opening of its PG-13 rated Woody Allen comedy Hollywood Ending tied for tenth place with a not so great beginning ESTIMATED at $2.2 million at 765 theaters ($2,870 per theater).
Written and directed by Woody Allen, it stars Allen, George Hamilton, Tea Leoni, Debra Messing, Mark Rydell and Treat Williams.
"Woody Allen movies have historically been review sensitive and certainly the critics were mixed in their views of this one," DreamWorks distribution head Jim Tharp said Sunday morning. "Where the reviews are good, it actually did very well. It only did a little less than The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, which was the last one (from Allen and opened last August to) $2.5 million." The Curse of the Jade Scorpion went on to gross only about $8 million in domestic theaters.
"I think most people like the movie that go to see it," Tharp added. "Certainly, its (audience is) older and its female. So it really wasn't competing with Spider-Man."
OTHER OPENINGS
This weekend saw the arrival of no other major releases.
SNEAK PREVIEWS
There were no national sneak previews this weekend.
EXPANSIONS
On the expansion front this weekend IFC Films' PG rated romantic comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding expanded in its third week with a still happy ESTIMATED $0.7 million (-13%) at 152 theaters (+11 theaters; $4,600 per theater). Its cume is approximately $2.6 million.
Directed by Joel Zwick, it stars Nia Vardalos and John Corbett.
USA Films' R rated romantic comedy Monsoon Wedding added theaters in its 11th week with a less tasty ESTIMATED $0.66 million (-9%) at 254 theaters (+15 theaters; $2,585 per theater). Its cume is approximately $9.1 million.
Directed by Mira Nair, it was produced by Nair and Caroline Baron.
Lions Gate Films PG-13 rated comedy thriller The Cat's Meow expanded in its fourth week to a quiet ESTIMATED $0.34 million (-32%) at 153 theaters (+18 theaters; $2,245 per theater). Its cume is approximately $1.3 million.
Directed by Peter Bogdanovich, it stars Kirsten Dunst, Eddie Izzard, Edward Herrmann, Cary Elwes, Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Tilly.
Castle Rock Entertainment's R rated thriller The Salton Sea via Warner Bros. added a few theaters in its second week with an slow ESTIMATED $0.077 million (-53%) at 17 theaters (+2 theaters; $4,555 per theater). Its cume is approximately $0.3 million.
Directed by D. J. Caruso, it stars Val Kilmer, Vincent D'Onofrio, Doug Hutchison and Peter Sarsgaard.
INTERNATIONAL
Universal's international division reported Sunday morning that About A Boy finished its first week in the U.K. in first place with a 33 percent share of the market. This weekend for two days its gross was $1.3 million on 445 playdates with a 30 percent market share, putting it 28 percent ahead of the U.K. opening of Panic Room. In nine days, About A Boy has grossed an outstanding $10 million.
The Scorpion King opened in four more countries this weekend, including France. Universal said it would not have box office details from France until Monday, but that it already knew the picture had opened well last Wednesday, grossing $307,000 on 334 playdates.
Looking at holdover business for The Scorpion King, the studio said it had a great day in Spain on Saturday, moving up to first place with $560,000 on 275 playdates. That was down only 12 percent from its opening weekend and slightly ahead of Blade 2 with $530,000.
In the U.K., The Scorpion King moved up one rung to fourth place with $508,000 on 383 playdates in its third weekend. Its 16-day cume is $5.5 million. In Germany, it grossed $820,000 on 662 playdates and held on to third place, following the opening of Blade 2 with $2.7 million and behind the third week of Panic Room with $845,000. Its ten day cume is $3.3 million.
In Brazil it grossed $390,000 on 199 playdates, holding on to first place in the face of openings by Count of Monte Cristo, Not Another Teen Movie, High Crimes and Behind the Sun. In Argentina The Scorpion King grossed $30,000 on 50 playdates and ranked second, just behind the opening of Time Machine with $33,000. In Mexico it grossed $480,000 on 300 playdates and was third behind the openings of Time Machine and La Habitacion Azil.
In Australia, The Scorpion King in its third weekend grossed $206,000 on 185 playdates, placing seventh. Its 17-day cume is $3 million. The Scorpion King's international cume passed $40 million this weekend with 10 countries still to open, including Japan on June 8.
Forty Days and Forty Nights moved into its second week in Australia, grossing $275,000 on 147 playdates. It ranked fifth with a cume of $1.3 million.
Big Fat Liar had its first international opening this weekend in Mexico. With a small release of 50 prints, its two day gross was $73,000.
Ali G Inda House, Universal's latest film from Working Title, had an excellent opening Thursday in The Netherlands. Its opening day gross of $66,000 on 50 playdates was equal to how American Pie 2 had opened there. Ali G is also in release in the U.K., where it has grossed a terrific $14.6 million.
WEEKEND COMPARISONS
Key films--those grossing more than $500,000-- ook in approximately $158.01 million, up about 51.08 percent from last year when they totaled $104.59 million. Key films this weekend were up about 96.53 percent from the previous weekend of this year's total of $80.4 million.
Last year, Universal's opening week of The Mummy Returns was first with $68.14 million at 3,401 theaters ($240,035 per theater); and Warner Bros. and Franchise Films' second week of Driven was second with $6.0 million at 2,905 theaters ($2,066 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $74.1 million. This year, the top two films grossed an ESTIMATED $123.6 million.

The Scorpion King kept its box office crown despite dropping 51 percent to $17.6 million.
Changing Lanes held fast in second place with $9 million. Life Or Something Like It opened third to a not so lively $6.7 million. Jason X scared up $6.5 million to open fourth. Murder by Numbers claimed fifth place with $6.3 million.
With only King really driving the marketplace, key films -- those grossing $500,000 or more -- totaled $76.4 million, up nearly 22 percent from last year's $62.6 million. Business fell by about 22 percent from the previous weekend's $98.1 million.
Looking ahead, distribution executives are anticipating that Columbia's kickoff of Spider-Man this Friday (May 3) will generate huge opening weekend grosses. Most insiders expect an opening of at least $70 million and some are speculating about $80 million in ticket sales for the film's first three days.
Between the current success of Scorpion King, the anticipated strength of Spider-Man and the expected blockbuster launch May 16 of 20th Century Fox and Lucasfilm's Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, the pre-summer should provide Hollywood with a sizzling start to the traditional summer season.
THE TOP TEN
Universal's PG-13 rated adventure spinoff The Scorpion King in association with World Wrestling Federation Entertainment and Alphaville was number one again in its second week, still flexing its box office muscles with an ESTIMATED $17.57 million (-51%) at 3,449 theaters (+ 5 theaters; $5,095 per theater). Its cume is approximately $60.8 million, heading for $100 million in domestic theaters.
Scorpion's average per theater was the highest for any film playing in wide release this weekend.
"To have $60 million in 10 days is something to celebrate," Universal distribution president Nikki Rocco said Sunday morning.
"I think the (marketing) strategy was right. The opening date was right. And now we'll probably coast, hopefully, to $100 million."
What Universal has established, Rocco added, "is that you can take a film that has high visibility and open it any time of the year and have excellent results. Scorpion King is such a huge success for our studio. It's going to be profitable. We launched a new charismatic star (The Rock). We launched a new release date (mid-April) for this type of event film. It was the launch of a new franchise and it could be done off-season. If this is any indication, the industry is in for a gangbuster summer. There are a lot of high profile films and that's good for the business."
Paramount's R rated road rage drama Changing Lanes held at a steady speed in second place in its third week with an ESTIMATED $9.0 million (-19%) at 2,642 theaters (theater count unchanged; $3,407 per theater). Its cume is approximately $44.5 million.
Directed by Roger Michell, it stars Ben Affleck and Samuel L Jackson.
"It's (on its way domestically to) $65-70 million, I think," Paramount distribution president Wayne Lewellen said Sunday morning. "It's holding very well. It goes back to (the idea that) when you don't have a lot of product coming into the marketplace, whatever is there gets an opportunity to breathe. We'll see what happens this weekend with Spider-Man. We should be a good alternative to that."
20th Century Fox's opening of Regency Enterprises' PG-13 rated drama Life Or Something Like It was an uneventful third with an ESTIMATED $6.65 million at 2,606 theaters ($2,552 per theater).
Directed by Stephen Herek, it stars Angelina Jolie and Edward Burns.
New Line Cinema's R rated horror genre sequel Jason X
kicked off in fourth place to a solid ESTIMATED $6.5 million at 1,878 theaters ($3,461 per theater).
Directed by Jim Isaac, it stars Kane Hodder.
"It was in the range of our expectations," New Line distribution president David Tuckerman said Sunday morning.
Noting that the picture was not an expensive negative, Tuckerman pointed out, "We don't have to do very much to break even."
Asked who the audience was, Tuckerman said, "It's under 25, that's for sure. And I saw with my own eyes the other night, it looks pretty close to being 50-50 between men and women."
Castle Rock Entertainment's Murder by Numbers fell two pegs to fifth place in its second week via Warner Bros. with a quiet ESTIMATED $6.31 million (-32%) at 2,663 theaters (theater count unchanged; $2,370 per theater). Its cume is approximately $18.3 million.
Directed by Barbet Schroeder, it stars Sandra Bullock.
Buena Vista/Disney's G rated family appeal baseball drama The Rookie slid two bases to place sixth in its fifth week with a still strong ESTIMATED $5.4 million (-16%) at 2,543 theaters (+36 theaters; $2,128 per theater). Its cume is approximately $60.6 million.
Directed by John Lee Hancock, it stars Dennis Quaid.
20th Century Fox's PG rated animated feature Ice Age fell one notch to seventh place in its seventh week, still holding nicely with an ESTIMATED $4.63 million (-22%) at 2,594 theaters (-226 theaters; $1,782 per theater). Its cume is approximately $165.4 million, heading for $175 million or more in domestic theaters.
Directed by Chris Wedge, it features the voices of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo and Denis Leary.
Columbia's R rated thriller Panic Room slipped three rungs to eighth place in its fifth week, holding okay with an ESTIMATED $4.2 million (-30%) at 2,463 theaters (-362 theaters; $1,705 per theater). Its cume is approximately $87.7 million, on its way to $90 million-plus in domestic theaters.
Directed by David Fincher, it stars Jodie Foster.
20th Century Fox and Regency Enterprises' PG-13 rated thriller High Crimes dropped one level to ninth place in its fourth week with a calm ESTIMATED $3.01 million (-23%) at 2,060 theaters (-349 theaters; $1,460 per theater). Its cume is approximately $35.0 million, heading for $40 million.
Directed by Carl Franklin, it stars Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman.
Rounding out the Top Ten was Columbia's R rated romantic comedy The Sweetest Thing, down three notches in its third week with an unsweetened ESTIMATED $2.9 million (-43%) at 2,124 theaters (-646 theaters; $1,365 per theater). Its cume is approximately $21.2 million.
Directed by Roger Kumble, it stars Cameron Diaz, Christina Applegate and Selma Blair.
OTHER OPENINGS
This weekend also saw the arrival of Castle Rock Entertainment's R rated thriller The Salton Sea via Warner Bros., making waves at 15 theaters with an ESTIMATED $0.175 million ($11,700 per theater).
Directed by DJ Caruso, it stars Val Kilmer, Vincent D'Onofrio, Doug Hutchison and Peter Sarsgaard.
"We had a good opening with Salton Sea," Warner Bros. Distribution president Dan Fellman said Sunday morning. "Our number one gross was the Archlight (in Hollywood), which in two days grossed $30,000. The Criterion in Santa Monica grossed $18,300. It's off to a good start and we'll see (where it) goes from here. We're going to add a few more cities on May 10 and some more on May 17."
Sony Pictures Classics' PG-13 skateboarding film Dogtown and Z-Boys kicked off at 20 theaters to an energetic ESTIMATED $0.11 million ($5,263 per theater).
Directed by Stacy Peralta, it is narrated by Sean Penn.
SNEAK PREVIEWS
There were no national sneak previews this weekend.
EXPANSIONS
On the expansion front this weekend IFC Films' unrated erotic drama Y Tu Mama Tambien went wider in its seventh week with an ESTIMATED $1.0 million (even) at 283 theaters (+42 theaters; $3,525 per theater). Its cume is approximately $7.2 million.
Directed by Alfonso Cuaron, it stars Maribel Verdu, Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna.
USA Films' R rated romantic comedy Monsoon Wedding added theaters in its 10th week with a still tempting ESTIMATED $0.79 million (+7%) at 239 theaters (+50 theaters; $3,295 per theater). Its cume is approximately $8.2 million.
Directed by Mira Nair, it was produced by Nair and Caroline Baron.
IFC Films' PG rated romantic comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding expanded in its second week with a bigger and fatter ESTIMATED $0.74 million (+24%) at 141 theaters ($5,265 per theater). Its cume is approximately $1.6 million.
Directed by Joel Zwick, it stars Nia Vardalos and John Corbett.
Lions Gate Films PG-13 rated comedy thriller The Cat's Meow expanded in its third week to a hopeful ESTIMATED $0.47 million at 135 theaters (+124 theaters; $3,445 per theater). Its cume is approximately $0.75 million.
Directed by Peter Bogdanovich, it stars Kirsten Dunst, Eddie Izzard, Edward Herrmann, Cary Elwes, Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Tilly.
Paramount Classics' PG-13 rated romantic comedy The Triumph of Love went wider in its second week with a slow ESTIMATED $82,000 at 46 theaters (+28 theaters; $1,790 per theater). Its cume is approximately $0.17 million.
Directed by Clare Peploe, it stars Mira Sorvino, Fiona Shaw, Jay Rodan, Rachael Stirling and Ben Kingsley.
INTERNATIONAL
Universal's international division reported Sunday morning that About A Boy opened in first place in the U.K. to a terrific $3.9 million for two days on 433 playdates. The film captured a 34 percent share of the U.K. market, performing 20 percent ahead of the studio's past hit Notting Hill and 22 percent ahead of its current hit Ali G Inda House.
The Scorpion King opened in 23 more countries this weekend. Among the film's early results:
In Germany it opened number one with $1.3 million on 668 playdates its first three days.
In Italy it got off to a strong start opening on Wednesday with a holiday on Thursday. In its first two days, it grossed $443,000 on 230 playdates.
In the Netherlands it opened in first place with $225,000 on 84 playdates.
In Spain it opened to $636,000 on 289 playdates in its first two days.
King was number one in Argentina with $43,000 on 50 playdates. It was first in Brazil with $535,000 on 187 playdates, a 36 percent share of the market. In Mexico it finished first with $920,000 on 303 playdates, also a 36 percent market share.
King also enjoyed success in holdover situations. In Australia, it grossed $650,000 on 191 playdates, down 35% from its opening. It ranked second to the opening of We Were Soldiers with $1.0 million on 195 playdates.
In the U.K., King grossed $1.0 million (-32%) on 407 playdates. It was third in the market, behind About A Boy and Bend it Like Beckham, which grossed $1.3 million (-35%) on 395 playdates.
Ali G Inda House, Universal's latest film from Working Title, was 14th in its sixth week of release in the U.K. Its Friday-Saturday gross was $90,000 on 147 playdates. Its cume after 37 days is $14.3 million.
Forty Days and Forty Nights, which Universal is releasing internationally, opened in Australia last Thursday to an outstanding $600,000 on 150 playdates. It moved up one rung to third place Saturday.
E.T. opened Saturday in Japan to an estimated $395,000. Japan is celebrating its Golden Week holiday, which is expected to have a good effect at the box office.
WEEKEND COMPARISONS
Key films -- those grossing more than $500,000 -- took in approximately $76.36 million, up about 21.98 percent from last year when they totaled $62.6 million.
Key films this weekend were down about 22.19 percent from the previous weekend of this year's total of $98.13 million.
Last year, Warner Bros. and Franchise Films' opening week of Driven was first with $12.17 million at 2,905 theaters ($4,191 per theater); and Miramax and Universal's third week of Bridget Jones's Diary was second with $7.53 million at 2,532 theaters ($2,973 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $19.7 million. This year, the top two films grossed an ESTIMATED $26.6 million.

Americans played Hardball at the box office this weekend, finding some much needed escape from the week's tragic news.
Ticket sales by key films -- those grossing $500,000 or more for the weekend -- were approximately $61.2 million, up about 29 percent from the comparable weekend last year's total of $47.4 million.
Insiders had speculated that ticket sales this weekend would hinge on whether there was any new big breaking news. In the event that there was major breaking news, Americans would almost certainly have remained glued to their television sets as they had been for most of last week. In the happy absence of new big breaking news, it seemed likely the public would turn to movies for some escape.
"There was resilience (in the marketplace) and it was amazing," Warner Bros. Distribution president Dan Fellman observed Sunday morning. "I think it was great. The American people wanted to get out of the house. We're 26 or 28 percent ahead of last year (based on Warners' early estimates). There was a huge bump between Friday and Saturday (for many films). I think people needed a little relief and they went to the movies."
Asked about ticket sales in the New York area, Fellman said, "New York was exceptionally strong. I looked at (Paramount's) Hardball on Friday night and the screen average in L.A. was $2,000 and the number two market was New York at $1,800 (per theater for Friday). And usually that's the normal pattern. Now, obviously, there are theaters in Manhattan (where business was down). You can take isolated areas and make an argument (that people stayed away). But, in general, Washington (also) was where it should be on the charts. I think people needed a little escapism."
With neither of the weekend's new films -- Paramount's Little League baseball comedy drama Hardball and Columbia's suspense thriller The Glass House -- being big high profile releases, however, the weekend's box office potential was clearly limited no matter what was happening in the world.
Nonetheless, this weekend's total was down by only about 11 percent from the previous weekend this year when key films took in $68.8 million. That suggested to some industry executives that there would have been a lot more moviegoing this weekend if the films Hollywood happened to have scheduled to open now had stronger commercial appeal.
"Unfortunately, there was nothing compelling (for people to see)," another distribution executive, who asked not to be identified, pointed out Sunday morning. "It would have been a great weekend to open a really great comedy where there's real escapism. There are no sporting events (this weekend) and TV is now becoming more depressing. The truth of the matter is that people are looking for something to escape to."
Paramount's opening of its PG-13 rated urban appeal drama-comedy Hardball hit first place with an energetic ESTIMATED $10.1 million at 2,137 theaters ($4,726 per theater).
Hardball's average per theater was the highest for any film playing in wide release this weekend.
Directed by Brian Robbins, it stars Keanu Reeves.
"I expect a strong Sunday," Paramount distribution president Wayne Lewellen said Sunday morning. "We were hurt on Friday. The big urban theaters didn't kick in until Saturday night. We expect a very strong Sunday with the kind of ethnic appeal we have with the film. But it's also playing very well (in general).
"The exit polls went through the roof. It scored a 91 on the index. It's the overall score for the picture after you compile all the information. Anything over 80 is through the roof and a 90 is basically unheard of."
Lewellen noted that Paramount did its "exit polls yesterday and I haven't seen the (details yet). When we did the sneaks last week, 96 percent were in the Top Two Boxes (excellent and very good). There's no reason to believe that it would change."
Asked if people looked to movie theaters as a means to escape from reality this weekend, Lewellen replied, "I think so. It seemed that they were somewhat preoccupied on Friday because of the Day of Mourning. There were candlelight vigils Friday night. I think there was a lot of participation in that. Everything in the market had a tremendous bump Saturday from Friday. I think you're going to see a continuation of that today -- obviously, unless (there is) some kind of breaking news activity."
Lewellen pointed out that, "The last time we experienced anything like this was the Kennedy assassination. Really, there aren't any records we can refer to. We simply had conversations with people who were around then (in 1963) and remembered the business. Everybody pulled all the movies out of that weekend except for one film. It was a Jayne Mansfield film called Promises! Promises! (a sex comedy starring Mansfield, who was seen naked on the screen for the first time in this film, which was directed by King Donovan and also starred Marie McDonald, Tommy Noonan and Mickey Hargitay). It was the only film that opened (via NTD, an independent distributor at the time) and it set house records. People were looking for escapism and, obviously, the networks as they did now were only broadcasting newscasts. Of course, it does become redundant when there's no new news and they just say the same thing over and over.
"In addition, I think that the fact that the Memorial was held on Friday -- it's not closure, but it sort of said that it's OK to go out (and start trying to get back to normal). And that's why I think we're going to have an extraordinary Sunday (at the box office)."
Columbia's opening of its PG-13 rated suspense thriller The Glass House cracked the chart in second place with a solid ESTIMATED $6.1 million at 1,591 theaters ($3,834 per theater).
Directed by Daniel Sackheim, it stars Leelee Sobieski, Diane Lane and Stellan Skarsgard.
"Not an expensive picture -- $22 million," Sony Pictures Entertainment worldwide marketing &amp; distribution president Jeff Blake said Sunday morning. "We had a rather moderate release (with) pretty focused advertising, a reasonable number of prints and I think our caution was rewarded with a decent start that should get it into the $20 millions (in domestic theaters) and break even or make a little profit."
The studio's marketing efforts, Blake explained, "were focused toward younger females. It's a PG-13 thriller with Leelee Sobieski and I think that certainly the research going in indicated that that was the crowd. And we were specific in our advertising towards them. A focused mid-September release that turned out fine."
Commenting on how this weekend played out, Blake commented, "On the one hand, it looks like the lowest of the year. On the other hand, it's up over last year. It's hard to say, but I'm sure as we all look at our individual figures we all would have liked to have a little more -- but from Day One we thought a $6 million opening on Glass House was a reasonable expectation. It didn't seem like the events (of last week) took us away from that one way or the other."
Universal and Miramax's PG-13 rated action adventure acquisition The Musketeer fell two rungs to third place in its second week with a less dramatic ESTIMATED $5.31 million (-49%) at 2,476 theaters (+38 theaters; $2,145 per theater). Musketeer, which Universal picked up for North America for only about $3.75 million, has a cume of approximately $17.6 million, heading for $25-30 million in domestic theaters.
Directed by Peter Hyams, it stars Catherine Deneuve, Mena Suvari, Stephen Rea, Tim Roth and Justin Chambers.
"There was a tremendous jump between Friday and Saturday," Universal distribution president Nikki Rocco said Sunday morning, referring to the marketplace in general.
Musketeer, for instance, was up about 59 percent on Saturday from Friday. There were similar big increases on Saturday for such films as Hardball (up about 69 percent), The Others (up about 55 percent), Rush Hour 2 (up about 82 percent), Rat Race (up about 70 percent) and American Pie 2 (up about 58 percent).
Asked what accounted for such increases across the board, Rocco replied, "There was nothing else to do. People were home all day. On Friday, people came home from school and from work and wanted to catch up on the (news). But by Saturday, there was nothing else to do. There was no football. There was no baseball."
Focusing on Musketeer, Rocco said, "It's a very successful acquisition for us. We're very happy that we made this deal for domestic rights (for only $3.75 million)."
Dimension Films' PG-13 thriller The Others rose one slot to fourth place in its sixth week, still holding well with an ESTIMATED $4.8 million (-20%) at 2,843 theaters (+106 theaters; $1,688 per theater). Others, which cost only $17 million to make, has a cume of approximately $73.6 million, heading for $80-85 million in domestic theaters.
Directed by Alejandro Amenabar, it stars Nicole Kidman.
Asked where Others is heading, David Kaminow, senior vice president, marketing for Dimension's parent company Miramax, replied, "$80 million looks like it's pretty much a sure thing (so probably) $80-85 million. It's a tidy little winner!"
Sony's Screen Gems label's R rated urban appeal romantic comedy Two Can Play That Game slipped three pegs to fifth place in its second week with a still playful ESTIMATED $4.7 million (-39%) at 1,297 theaters (theater count unchanged; $3,624 per theater). Made for only $6 million, its cume is approximately $13.9 million, heading for the mid-$20 millions in domestic theaters.
Written and directed by Mark Brown, it stars Vivica A. Fox and Anthony Anderson.
"Two Can Play That Game continues to be a nice little success story for us," Sony's Jeff Blake said Sunday morning. "It's another film headed towards the mid-$20 millions, perhaps. And this one only cost $6 million. Again, a very focused campaign. I feel pretty good about what we had lined up for September and what we're spending (on marketing) to get there."
New Line Cinema's PG-13 rated action comedy blockbuster sequel Rush Hour 2 held on to sixth place in its seventh week with an OK ESTIMATED $4.35 million (-24%) at 2,266 theaters (-280 theaters; $1,920 per theater). Its cume is approximately $211.4 million, heading for $220 million in domestic theaters.
Directed by Brett Ratner, it stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker.
MGM's Jeepers Creepers, the R-rated horror film from the studio's United Artists label, fell four slots to seventh place in its third week with a slow ESTIMATED $3.85 million (-38%) at 2,847 theaters (-97 theaters; $1,353 per theater). Its cume is approximately $29.7 million.
Written and directed by Victor Salva, it stars Gina Phillips, Justin Long, Jonathan Breck and Eileen Brennan.
Paramount's PG-13 comedy Rat Race held on to eighth place in its fifth week, still holding nicely with an ESTIMATED $3.63 million (-19%) at 2,495 theaters (-56 theaters; $1,453 per theater). Its cume is approximately $47.8 million, heading for $55-60 million in domestic theaters.
Directed by Jerry Zucker, it stars Rowan Atkinson, John Cleese, Whoopi Goldberg, Cuba Gooding Jr., Seth Green, Jon Lovitz, Breckin Meyer and Amy Smart.
Universal's R-rated youth appeal comedy hit sequel American Pie 2 slid two pegs to ninth place in its sixth week with a less sexy ESTIMATED $3.56 million (-25%) at 2,339 theaters (-438 theaters; $1,520 per theater). Pie 2, which cost about $30 million to make, has a cume of approximately $135.9 million, heading for $140 million in domestic theaters.
Directed by J.B. Rogers, it stars Jason Biggs, Shannon Elizabeth, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Natasha Lyonne, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Seann William Scott, Mena Suvari, Eddie Kaye Thomas and Eugene Levy.
Rounding out the Top Ten (and virtually tied for ninth place) was Bel-Air Entertainment's R-rated drama Rock Star, distributed by Warner Bros., down six slots in its second week with a dull ESTIMATED $3.53 million (-41%) at 2,525 theaters (theater count unchanged; $1,396 per theater). Its cume is approximately $11.2 million.
Directed by Stephen Herek, it stars Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston.
OTHER OPENINGS
This weekend did not see the arrival of any other high profile or wide openings.
SNEAK PREVIEWS
This weekend saw no national sneak previews.
EXPANSIONS
On the expansion front, this weekend saw Fox Searchlight Pictures R-rated hit thriller The Deep End go wider in its sixth week with an OK ESTIMATED $0.75 million (-22%) at 412 theaters (+11 theaters; $1,823 per theater). Its cume is approximately $6.9 million.
Written produced and directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, it stars Tilda Swinton, Goran Visnjic and Jonathan Tucker.
MGM's release of United Artists' R-rated youth appeal comedy Ghost World continued to widen in its ninth week, holding well with an ESTIMATED $0.37 million (even) at 104 theaters (+13 theaters; $3,667 per theater). Its cume is approximately $4.2 million.
Directed by Terry Zwigoff, it stars Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Brad Renfro, Illeana Douglas and Steve Buscemi.
Miramax's R-rated Apocalypse Now Redux widened in its seventh week with an OK ESTIMATED $0.2 million (-30%) at 105 theaters (+13 theaters; $1,904 per theater). Its cume is approximately $3.5 million.
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, it stars Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Martin Sheen, Laurence Fishburne, Dennis Hopper and Harrison Ford.
Paramount Classics' R-rated drama Our Lady of the Assassins went wider in its second week with a still hopeful ESTIMATED $0.055 million (-2%) at 12 theaters (+8 theaters; $4,595 per theater). Its cume is approximately $0.1 million.
Directed by Barbet Schroeder, it stars German Jaramillo and Anderson Ballesteros.
INTERNATIONAL
On the international front, Universal reported that it opened The Fast and the Furious in the U.K. this weekend to a solid $1.7 million on 400 screens for Friday and Saturday. That total does not include the 63 screens where the film is playing in Ireland, where theaters were closed Friday as a national day of mourning for the U.S.
Universal said Fast's two-day U.K. gross was 20 percent higher than the $2 million that Scary Movie 2 kicked off to in the U.K. a week ago.
Universal also reported that its international release of Bridget Jones's Diary (co-financed with Miramax, which distributed it domestically) is now up to $130 million, making it this year's seventh biggest grossing film internationally. It still has 14 countries in which it will be opening -- including Japan on Sept. 22.
Universal said that Jurassic Park III's international cume is now at $165 million, making it the fifth highest grossing film of the year internationally. There still are eight countries in which JP III will be opening.
Universal's American Pie 2 had its first international opening this weekend in Israel, kicking off to a strong $217,000 on 30 screens ($7,200 per screen) and capturing first place. The studio will be releasing Pie 2 over the next four months. Its next openings are slated for Sept. 27 in Germany and Austria.
WEEKEND COMPARISONS
Key films -- those grossing more than $500,000 -- took in approximately $61.23 million, up about 29.29 per cent from the comparable weekend last year when key films grossed $47.36 million.
This weekend's key film gross was down about 11.05 percent from last weekend of this year, when key films took in approximately $68.82 million.
Last year, Universal's second week of The Watcher was first with $5.81 million at 2,745 theaters ($2,115 per theater); and Warner Bros.' opening week of Bait was second with $5.49 million at 2,352 theaters ($2,332 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $11.3 million. This year, the top two films grossed an ESTIMATED $16.2 million.

The Musketeer stormed this weekend's box office, capturing first place with nearly $11 million.
The independently made PG-13 rated action adventure, whose acquisition costs were shared by Universal and Miramax, is being distributed in North America by Universal and in the U.K. by Miramax. The Universal and Miramax presentation is a production from D'Artagnan Productions Ltd., Apollomedia, Q&amp;Q Media and Carousel Picture Company.
Musketeer topped the chart with an ESTIMATED $10.7 million at 2,438 theaters ($4,390 per theater), an energetic showing for the traditionally quiet first weekend after Labor Day and the end of summer.
Directed by Peter Hyams, it stars Catherine Deneuve, Mena Suvari, Stephen Rea, Tim Roth and Justin Chambers. The film was produced by Moshe Diamant and executive produced by Mark Damon, Steven Paul, Rudy Cohen, Frank Hubner and Romain Schroeder.
Driven by Musketeer, ticket sales for key films--those grossing $500,000 or more for the weekend--were approximately $69.8 million, up nearly 29 percent from last year's post-Labor Day weekend total of $54.1 million.
"We're pleased," Universal distribution president Nikki Rocco said Sunday morning. "Strategically, when we made the deal with Miramax as a partner on Musketeer--they're going to release it in the U.K. and we have North American rights--knowing that we were successful with The Watcher last year on the same weekend we saw an opportunity here believing that Rock Star and Two Can Play That Game were (aimed) at different targets.
"We had a magnificent trailer on Musketeer that made it look very different from all the (other movies about the Musketeers). Taking the opportunity to play this incredible trailer with American Pie 2 gave it a lot of visibility. This is the end result. American Pie 2 has done over $131 million worth of business."
Focusing on the acquisition of Musketeer, Rocco pointed out, "Universal's share was $3.75 million. It's a very profitable thing for us. We were very strategic about how we did it. We wanted to be away from all of the high profile (summer) films. This is the weekend last year that we opened another acquisition, The Watcher, to $9.1 million. It was the number one film and made money for us, grossing (about) $29 million (in domestic theaters)."
Sony's Screen Gems label opened its R rated urban appeal romantic comedy Two Can Play That Game to a sexy ESTIMATED $8.3 million at 1,297 theaters ($6,400 per theater).
Game's average per theater was the highest for any film playing in wide release this weekend.
Written and directed by Mark Brown, it stars Vivica Fox and Anthony Anderson.
"It's a $6 million negative (in terms of Sony's cost) and we certainly hope we're headed to at least the mid-$20 millions," Sony Pictures Entertainment worldwide marketing &amp; distribution president Jeff Blake said Sunday morning.
"A very profitable Screen Gems release. Another low cost, highly focused entertaining release that I think really was handled very nicely by the team at Screen Gems--similar to The Brothers, which came out earlier this year and opened to $10.3 million (the weekend of Mar. 23-25 at 1,378 theaters, averaging $7,477 per theater), but was in a tougher period and dropped off pretty dramatically. This one in the fall, hopefully, will hold on a little bit and end up with similar results. Brothers ended up with about $28 million."
Blake added that he feels Screen Gems is "doing a very nice job with highly focused pictures that have great appeal to a segment of the audience. And they're doing a nice job getting the word out to them at a pretty reasonable price."
Bel-Air Entertainment's R rated drama Rock Star opened quietly via Warner Bros. in a tie for third place to an ESTIMATED $6.18 million at 2,525 theaters ($2,446 per theater). The film was financed by Bel-Air and is being released by Warners.
Directed by Stephen Herek, it stars Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston.
"It's a little disappointing, obviously, but our exits were pretty good," Warner Bros. Distribution president Dan Fellman said Sunday morning. "It was about 50-50 male-female and primarily 18-35. The one thing that stood out in the exits was that everybody liked a href="/celebrities/197412/Mark_Wahlberg" >Mark Wahlberg's performance in the movie. The best markets we had, not surprisingly, were college towns--like Boston was big. We're hoping to just hang in there through the fall and maybe we won't take these big drops that everybody's been taking in the summer."
MGM's Jeepers Creepers, the R rated horror film from the studio's United Artists label, which was first last week, tied for third place in its second week with a less scary ESTIMATED $6.17 million (-53%) at 2,944 theaters (theater count unchanged; $2,095 per theater). Its cume is approximately $24.3 million.
Written and directed by Victor Salva, it stars Gina Phillips, Justin Long, Jonathan Breck and Eileen Brennan.
(NOTE: Percentage comparisons indicated today are against the Friday through Sunday portion of the previous weekend, the four day Labor Day weekend.)
Dimension Films' PG-13 thriller The Others fell one rung to fifth in its fifth week, still showing good legs with an ESTIMATED $6.1 million (-25%) at 2,737 theaters (+21 theaters; $2,228 per theater). The Others, which cost only $17 million to make, has a cume of approximately $67.6 million, heading for $75-80 million in domestic theaters.
Directed by Alejandro Amenabar, it stars Nicole Kidman.
New Line Cinema's PG-13 rated action comedy blockbuster sequel Rush Hour 2 dropped four notches in its sixth week with an okay ESTIMATED $5.85 million (-37%) at 2,546 theaters (-279 theaters; $2,298 per theater). Its cume is approximately $206.1 million, heading for $210-215 million in domestic theaters.
Directed by Brett Ratner, it stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker.
"It's the highest grossing film in New Line history," New Line distribution president David Tuckerman said Sunday morning. "It's the number two picture of the year and of the summer. The little movie that could!"
Asked why the film worked so well, Tuckerman replied, "It's basically give the public what they want to see and they will come. That's the bottom line. The movie was funnier than the first. It delivered. And the public wanted to see more of what the first one was--and they got it."
Universal's R rated youth appeal comedy hit sequel American Pie 2 slid three pegs to seventh place in its fifth week with a less tempting ESTIMATED $4.74 million (-47%) at 2,777 theaters (-337 theaters; $1,705 per theater). Pie 2, which cost about $30 million to make, has a cume of approximately $131.2 million, heading for $140 million in domestic theaters.
Directed by J.B. Rogers, it stars Jason Biggs, Shannon Elizabeth, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Natasha Lyonne, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Seann William Scott, Mena Suvari, Eddie Kaye Thomas and Eugene Levy.
Paramount's PG-13 comedy Rat Race fell three rungs to eighth place in its fourth week with an unexciting ESTIMATED $4.4 million (-39%) at 2,551 theaters (theater count unchanged; $1,725 per theater). Its cume is approximately $43.2 million.
Directed by Jerry Zucker, it stars Rowan Atkinson, John Cleese, Whoopi Goldberg, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Seth Green, Jon Lovitz, Breckin Meyer and Amy Smart.
Buena Vista/Disney's G rated family comedy hit The Princess Diaries dropped three notches to ninth place in its sixth week with a less royal ESTIMATED $3.4 million (-40%) at 2,410 theaters (-280 theaters; $1,420 per theater). Its cume is approximately $97.1 million, heading for $100 million in domestic theaters.
Directed by Garry Marshall, it stars Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway.
Rounding out the Top Ten was Lions Gate Films' controversial R rated high school set violent drama O, down three pegs with a soft ESTIMATED $2.7 million (-53%) at 1,445 theaters (+11 theaters; $1,869 per theater). Its cume is approximately $10.8 million.
Directed by Tim Blake Nelson, it stars Mekhi Phifer, Josh Hartnett and Julia Stiles.
Other openings
This weekend also saw the arrival of Artisan Entertainment's PG-13 rated youth appeal thriller Soul Survivors to a deadly ESTIMATED $1.1 million at 601 theaters ($1,765 per theater).
Written and directed by Steve Carpenter, it stars Casey Affleck and Wes Bentley.
Paramount Classics' R rated drama Our Lady of the Assassins kicked off to a hopeful ESTIMATED $0.056 million at 4 theaters ($13,886 per theater).
Directed by Barbet Schroeder, it stars German Jaramillo and Anderson Ballesteros.
Sneak previews
This weekend saw Paramount hold sneak previews Saturday night of its PG-13 rated baseball drama Hardball.
Directed by Brian Robbins, it stars Keanu Reeves and Diane Lane.
"Hardball went very well," Paramount distribution president Wayne Lewellen said Sunday morning. "It played to 59 percent capacity. The reactions were 59 percent excellent and 37 percent good and very good and 4 percent fair (in Paramount's exit polls). 96 percent in the Top Two boxes. The audience was a little older, primarily 20-plus with families. So there's a mix of older-with-families."
Hardball opens Friday (Sept. 14) at about 2,100 theaters.
Expansions
On the expansion front, this weekend saw Fox Searchlight Pictures R rated hit thriller The Deep End go wider in its fifth week with a still encouraging ESTIMATED $0.9 million (-35%) at 401 theaters (+75 theaters; $2,254 per theater). Its cume is approximately $5.8 million.
Written produced and directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, it stars Tilda Swinton, Goran Visnjic and Jonathan Tucker.
MGM's release of United Artists' R rated youth appeal comedy Ghost World continued to widen in its eighth week with an okay ESTIMATED $0.39 million (-12%) at 91 theaters (+10 theaters; $4,246 per theater). Its cume is approximately $3.7 million.
Directed by Terry Swigoff, it stars Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Brad Renfro, Illeana Douglas and Steve Buscemi.
Miramax's R rated Apocalypse Now Redux widened in its sixth week with a still promising ESTIMATED $0.29 million (-35%) at 92 theaters (+11 theaters; $3,097 per theater). Its cume is approximately $3.2 million.
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, it stars Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Martin Sheen, Laurence Fishburne, Dennis Hopper and Harrison Ford.
International
On the international front, Universal reported that its domestic blockbuster The Fast and the Furious had its first major international release this weekend in Mexico with a strong ESTIMATED $0.75 million at 237 theaters, putting it number one in the market. Over the next three months Fast will open around the world, including this Friday (Sept. 14) in the U.K. and Sept. 20 in Australia.
Domestically, Fast is winding down its theatrical run after 12 weeks with a cume of $142.5 million.
Universal also said Sunday morning that its international release of Jurassic Park III has now hit $160 million with eight countries yet to open. Domestically, JP III has a cume of $177 million, giving it a worldwide cume to date of about $337 million.
Bridget Jones's Diary, which Universal and Miramax co-financed, has done about $122 million in its international release via Universal and still has 12 countries to open.
Universal said that in its third weekend in Germany Bridget moved up to first place with a $2.1 million gross that was up 1 percent from the previous weekend and up 43 percent from its opening weekend. Its cume in Germany is now $8.2 million.
In its third weekend in Austria, Bridget moved back to first place, grossing $265,000 at 65 theaters with a cume of $1.3 million.
Bridget opened in Hong Kong this weekend to very strong ticket sales of $238,000 at 24 theaters. Universal said its gross was 155 percent bigger than the opening for Billy Elliot, 55 percent ahead of Shakespeare in Love and 20 percent better than Liar, Liar.
Final top ten list for summer of 2001
Based on their actual cumes through Labor Day (Sept. 3), this summer's top ten grossing films were:
(1) Shrek (DreamWorks)- $262,908,727
(2) The Mummy Returns (Universal) - $201,707,090
(3) Rush Hour 2 (New Line) - $198,892,734
(4) Pearl Harbor (BV/Touchstone) - $196,656,492
(5) Jurassic Park III (Universal) - $175,832,085
(6) Planet of the Apes (Fox) - $173,069,748
(7) The Fast and the Furious (Universal) - $142,028,935
(8) Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (Paramount) - $130,722,949
(9) American Pie 2 (Universal) - $124,928,149
(10) Dr. Dolittle 2 (Fox) - $111,484,392
Weekend comparisons
Key films--those grossing more than $500,000--took in approximately $69.77 million, up about 28.97 per cent from the comparable weekend last year when key films grossed $54.1 million.
This weekend's key film gross cannot be compared to last weekend of this year, which was a four day holiday weekend.
Last year, Universal's opening week of The Watcher was first with $9.06 million at 2,742 theaters ($3,305 per theater); and USA Films' opening week of Nurse Betty was second with $7.15 million at 1,459 theaters ($4,898 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $16.2 million. This year, the top two films grossed an ESTIMATED $19.0 million.